Bicycle Safety

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Bicycle Safety Rules

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How to Not Get Hit by Cars
Important lessons in Bicycle Safety

This page shows you real ways you can get hit and real ways to avoid them. This is a far cry
from normal bicycle safety guides, which usually tell you little more than to wear your helmet and to follow the law. But consider this for a moment: Wearing a helmet will do absolutely nothing to prevent you from getting hit by a car. Sure, helmets might help you if you get hit, but your #1 goal should be to avoid getting hit in the first place. Plenty of cyclists are killed by cars even though they were wearing helmets. Ironically, if they had ridden without helmets, yet followed the advice on this page, they might still be alive today. on!t fall for the myth that wearing a helmet is the first and last word in biking safety. In truth, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It!s better to not get hit. That!s what

TIP: The Uninsured otorist clause on your auto insurance may pay if you!re hit " runned while bicyclin#$ Check your policy.

real bicycle safety is about. The ne"t most common bike safety advice after #wear a helmet# is #follow the law,# but most people are already aware that it!s stupid to race through a red light when there!s cross traffic. So the "follow the law" advice isn't that helpful because it's too obvious. $hat you!ll find here are several scenarios that maybe aren!t that obvious. The other problem with the #follow the law# message is that people may think that!s all they need to do. But following the law is not enough to keep you safe, not by a long shot. %ere!s an e"ample: The law tells you to ride as far to the right as is practicable. But if you ride too far to the right, someone e"iting a parked car could open their door right in front of you, and you!ll be less visible to motorists pulling out of driveways and parking lots, and motorists coming from behind may pass you way too closely in the same lane because you didn!t make them change lanes. In each of these cases you were following the law, but you made it easier for yourself to get hit. This page doesn!t focus on the law, it focuses on how to not get hit by cars. &ow let!s see how to avoid getting hit.

Ten Ways to Not et !it "ollision Type #1# The $ight "ross

This is the most common way to get hit %or almost get hit&.'source(, source)* ' car is pulling out of a side street( par)ing lot( or driveway on the right. &otice that there are actually two possible kinds of collisions here: +ither you!re in front of the car and the car hits you, or the car pulls out in front of you and you slam into it.

%ow to avoid this collision:
1. et a headlight. If you!re riding at night, you absolutely should be using a front headlight. It!s re,uired by law, anyway. +ven for daytime riding, a bright white light that has a flashing mode can make you more visible to motorists who might otherwise -ight .ross you. /ook for the new /+ headlights which last ten times as long on a set of batteries as old0style lights. 1nd headlamps 'mounted on your head or helmet* are the best, because then you can look directly at the driver to make sure they see your light. *. Wave. If you can!t make eye contact with the driver, wave your arm. It!s easier for them to see your arm going left and right than it is for them to see a bicycle coming straight towards them. 2ou could also use a loud horn 'like the 1ir 3ound* to get drivers! attention. If it looks like the driver is about to pull out without seeing you, yell #%ey4# 2ou may feel awkward waving or yelling, but it!s better to be embarrassed than to get hit. Incidentally, many countries re,uire bells on bicycles, but the 5.S. doesn!t. +. Slow down. If you can!t make eye contact with the driver 'especially at night*, slow down so much that you!re able to completely stop if you have to. Sure, it!s inconvenient, but it beats getting hit. oing this has saved my life on too many occasions to count. ,. $ide further left. 2ou!re probably used to riding in the #1# line in the picture, very close to the curb, because you!re worried about being hit from behind. But take a look at the car. $hen that driver is looking down the road for traffic, he!s not looking in the bike lane or the area closest to the curb6 he!s looking in the middle of the lane, for other cars. The farther left you are 'such as in #B#*, the more likely the driver will see you. There!s an added bonus here: if the motorist doesn!t see you and starts pulling out, you may be able to go even farther left, or may be able to speed up and get out of the way before impact, or easily roll onto their hood as they slam on their brakes. In short, it gives you some options. Because if you stay all the way to the right and they pull out, your only #option# may be to run right into the driver!s side door. 5sing this method has saved me on three occasions in which a motorist ran into me slowly as they hit their brakes and I wasn!t hurt, and in which I definitely would have slammed into the driver!s side door had I not moved left. 2ou might worry that moving left makes you more vulnerable to cars coming from behind. But the stats say you!re far more likely to get hit by a car at an intersection ahead of you that can!t see you, than from a car behind you which can see you clearly. So while both positions have risk, you generally reduce your

risk by riding a little farther left. 2our actual lane position depends on road conditions. 7n fast roadways with few cross streets 'and thus less chances to get hit at intersections*, you!ll ride farther to the right. 7n slow roads with many cross streets, you!ll ride farther left. See lane position for more about this.

"ollision Type #* # The -oor .ri/e

' driver opens his door right in front of you. 0ou run right into it if you can't stop in time. This kind of crash is more common than you might think.

%ow to avoid this collision:
$ide to the left. -ide far enough to the left that you won!t run into any door that!s opened une"pectedly. 2ou may be wary about riding so far into the lane that cars can!t pass you easily, but you!re more likely to get doored by a parked car if you ride too close to it than you are to get hit from behind by a car which can see you clearly.

"ollision Type #+ # The "rosswal) Slam

0ou're riding on the sidewal)( you cross the street at a crosswal)( and a car ma)es a right turn( right into you. rivers aren!t e"pecting bikes in the crosswalk, and it!s hard for them to see you because of the nature of turning from one street to another, so it!s very easy for you to get hit this way. In fact, this collision is so common we!ve lost track of the number of people who!ve told us they were hit this way, such as -ay 8ohn -ay. 7ne study showed that sidewalk0riding was twice as dangerous as road riding, and another study said it!s even more dangerous than that.

%ow to avoid this collision:
1. et a headlight. If you!re riding at night, a headlight is absolutely essential. It!s re,uired by law, anyway. *. Slow down. Slow down enough that you!re able to stop completely if necessary. +. -on't ride on the sidewal) in the first place. .rossing between sidewalks is a fairly dangerous maneuver. If you do it on the left0hand side of the street, you risk getting slammed as per the diagram. If you do it on the right0hand side of the street, you risk getting slammed by a car behind you that!s turning right. Sidewalk riding also makes you vulnerable to cars pulling out of parking lots or driveways. 1nd you!re threatening to pedestrians on the sidewalk, who could get hurt if you hit them. These kinds of accidents are hard to avoid, which is a compelling reason to not ride on the sidewalk in the first place. In addition, riding on the sidewalk is illegal in some places. Some special sidewal)s are safe to ride on. If the sidewalk is really long 'no need to fre,uently cross streets*, and free of driveways and peds, then there!s little risk to you and others. 8ust make sure when you do cross a street or driveway that you slow down considerably and that you check the traffic in all directions, especially behind you if you!re riding with the flow of traffic.

"ollision Type #,# The Wrong1Way Wrec)

0ou're riding the wrong way %against traffic( on the left1hand side of the street&. ' car ma)es a right turn from a side street( driveway( or par)ing lot( right into you. They didn't see you because they were loo)ing for traffic only on their left( not on their right. They had no reason to e2pect that someone would be coming at them from the wrong direction. +ven worse, you could be hit by a car on the same road coming at you from straight ahead of you. They had less time to see you and take evasive action because they!re approaching you faster than normal 'because you!re going towards them rather than away from them*.

%ow to avoid this collision:
-on't ride against traffic. -ide with traffic, in the same direction. -iding against traffic may seem like a good idea because you can see the cars that are passing you, but it!s not. %ere!s why: (. .ars which pull out of driveways, parking lots, and cross streets 'ahead of you and to the left*, which are making a right onto your street, aren!t e"pecting traffic to be coming at them from the wrong way. They won!t see you, and they!ll plow right into you. ). %ow the heck are you going to make a right turn9 :. .ars will approach you at a much higher relative speed. If you!re going (;mph, then a car passing you from behind doing :; approaches you at a speed of only *3 ':;0(;*. But if you!re on the wrong side of the road, then the car approaches you at 43 ':;<(;*, which is more than twice as fast4 Since they!re approaching you faster, both you and the driver have lots less time to react. 1nd if a collision does occur, it!s going to be at a faster relative speed. =. -iding the wrong way is against the law and you can get ticketed for it. 5ne study showed that riding the wrong way was three times as dangerous as riding the right way( and for kids, the risk is seven times greater. &early one0fourth of crashes involve cyclists riding the wrong way. Some readers have challenged this, saying if );> of crashes are from going the wrong way, then riding the right way is more dangerous because it accounts for ?;> of crashes. That idea is @ust wrong. Airst off, only B> of cyclists ride the wrong way, yet nearly );> of them get hit 00 meaning wrong0way cyclists really are three times more likely to get hit than those who ride the proper way. Second, the problem with wrong0way biking is that it promotes crashes, while right0way biking does not. Aor e"ample, cyclists running stop signs or red lights is (?> of their crashes. But do we therefore conclude that not running signals causes B:> of crashes94

"ollision Type #4# $ed 6ight of -eath

0ou stop to the right of a car that's already waiting at a red light or stop sign. They can't see you. When the light turns green( you move forward( and then they turn right( right into you. +ven small cars can do you in this way, but this scenario is especially dangerous when it!s a bus or a semi that you!re stopping ne"t to. 1n 1ustin cyclist was killed in (CC= when he stopped to the right of a semi, and then it turned right. %e was crushed under its wheels.

%ow to avoid this collision:
-on't stop in the blind spot. Simply stop behind a car, instead of to the right of it, as per the diagram below. This makes you very visible to traffic on all sides. It!s impossible for the car behind you to avoid seeing you when you!re right in front of it. 1nother option is to stop at either point 1 in the diagram above 'where the first driver can see you*, or at point B, behind the first car so it can!t turn into you, and far enough ahead of the second car so that the second driver can see you clearly. It does no good to avoid stopping to the right of the first car if you!re going to make the mistake of stopping to the right of the second car. +IT%+- car can do you in. If you chose spot 1, then ride ,uickly to cross the street as soon as the light turns green. on!t look at the motorist to see if they want to go ahead and turn. If you!re in spot 1 and they want to turn, then you!re in their way. $hy did you take spot 1 if you weren!t eager to cross the street when you could9 $hen the light turns green, @ust go, and go ,uickly. 'But make sure cars aren!t running the red light on the cross street, of course.* If you chose spot B, then when the light turns green, 7&!T pass the car in front of you 00 stay behind it, because it might turn right at any second. If it doesn!t make a right turn right away, it may turn right into a driveway or parking lot une"pectedly at any point. on!t count on drivers to signal4 They don!t. 1ssume that a car can turn right at any time. '&+D+- pass a car on the right4* But try to stay ahead of the car behind you until you!re through the intersection, because otherwise they might try to cut you off as they turn right. $hile we!re not advocating running red lights, notice it is in fact safer to run the red light if there!s no cross traffic, than it is to wait legally at the red light directly to the right of a car, only to have it make a right turn right into you when the light turns green. The moral here is not that you should break the law, but that you can easily get hurt even if you follow the law.

By the way, be very careful when passing stopped cars on the right as you approach a red light. 2ou run the risk of getting doored by a passenger e"iting the car on the right side, or hit by a car that une"pectedly decides to pull into a parking space on the right side of the street.

"ollision Type #7# The $ight !oo)
' car passes you and then tries to ma)e a right turn directly in front of you( or right into you. They think you!re not going very fast @ust because you!re on a bicycle, so it never occurs to them that they can!t pass you in time. +ven if you have to slam on your brakes to avoid hitting them, they often won!t feel they!ve done anything wrong. This kind of collision is very hard to avoid because you typically don!t see it until the last second, and because there!s nowhere for you to go when it happens.

%ow to avoid this collision:
1. -on't ride on the sidewal). $hen you come off the sidewalk to cross the street you!re invisible to motorists. 2ou!re @ust begging to be hit if you do this *. $ide to the left. Taking up the whole lane makes it harder for drivers to pass you to cut you off or turn into you. on!t feel bad about taking the lane: if motorists didn!t threaten your life by turning in front of or into you or passing you too closely, then you wouldn!t have to. If the lane you!re in isn!t wide enough for cars to pass you safely, then you should be taking the whole lane anyway. /ane position is discussed in more detail below. +. lance in your mirror before approaching an intersection. 'If you don!t have a handlebar or helmet mirror, get one now.* Be sure to look in your mirror well before you get to the intersection. $hen you!re actually going through an intersection, you!ll need to be paying very close attention to what!s in front of you.

"ollision Type #8# The $ight !oo)( part. *

0ou're passing a slow1moving car %or even another bi)e& on the right( when it une2pectedly ma)es a right turn right into you( trying to get to a par)ing lot( driveway or side street.

%ow to avoid this collision:
1. -on't pass on the right. This collision is very easy to avoid. 8ust don!t pass any vehicle on the right. If a car ahead of you is going only (E mph, then you slow down, too, behind it. It will eventually start moving faster. If it doesn!t, pass on the left when it!s safe to do so. $hen passing cyclists on the left, announce #on your left# before you start passing, so they don!t suddenly move left into you. '7f course, they!re much less likely to suddenly move left without looking, where they could be hit by traffic, then to suddenly move right, into a destination.* If they!re riding too far to the left for you to pass safely on the left, then announce #on your right# before passing on the right. If several cars are stopped at a light, then you can try passing on the right cautiously. -emember that someone can fling open the passenger door une"pectedly as they e"it the car. 1lso remember that if you pass on the right and traffic starts moving again une"pectedly, you may suffer F:, the -ed /ight of eath. &ote that when you!re tailing a slow0moving vehicle, ride behind it, not in its blind spot immediately to the right of it. +ven if you!re not passing a car on the right, you could still run into it if it turns right while you!re right ne"t to it. Give yourself enough room to brake if it turns. *. 6oo) behind you before turning right. %ere!s your opportunity to avoid hitting cyclists who violate tip F( above and try to pass you on the right. /ook behind you before making a right0hand turn to make sure a bike isn!t trying to pass you. '1lso remember that they could be coming up from behind you on the sidewalk while you!re on the street.* +ven if it!s the other cyclist!s fault for trying to pass you on the right when you make a right turn and have them slam into you, it won!t hurt any less when they hit you.

"ollision Type #9# The 6eft "ross

' car coming towards you ma)es a left turn right in front of you( or right into you. This is similar to Type #1( above.

%ow to avoid this collision:
1. -on't ride on the sidewal). $hen you come off the sidewalk to cross the street, you!re invisible to turning motorists. *. et a headlight. If you!re riding at night, you should absolutely use a front headlight. It!s re,uired by law in most countries, anyway. +. Wear something bright( even during the day. It may seem silly, but bikes are small and easy to see through even during the day. 2ellow or orange reflective vests really make a big difference. -eflective leg bands are also easy and ine"pensive. ,. -on't pass on the right. on!t overtake slow0moving vehicles on the right. oing so makes you invisible to left0turning motorists at intersections. Passing on the right means that the vehicle you!re passing could also make a right turn right into you, too. 4. Slow down. If you can!t make eye contact with the driver 'especially at night*, slow down so much that you!re able to completely stop if you have to. Sure, it!s inconvenient, but it beats getting hit.

"olission Type #:# The $ear ;nd

0ou innocently move a little to the left to go around a par)ed car or some other obstruction in the road( and you get nailed by a car coming up from behind.

%ow to avoid this collision:
1. Never( ever move left without loo)ing behind you first. Some motorists like to pass cyclists within mere inches, so moving even a tiny bit to the left une"pectedly could put you in the path of a car. Practice holding a straight line while looking over your shoulder until you can do it perfectly. Host new cyclists tend to move left when they look behind them, which of course can be disastrous. *. -on't swerve in and out of the par)ing lane if it contains any par)ed cars. 2ou might be tempted to ride in the parking lane where there are no parked cars, dipping back into the traffic lane when you encounter a parked car. This puts you at risk for getting nailed from behind. Instead, ride a steady, straight line in the traffic lane. +. <se a mirror. If you don!t have one, get one from a bike shop or an online shop right now. There are models that fit on your handlebars, helmet, or glasses, as you prefer. 2ou should always physically look back over your shoulder before moving left, but having a mirror still helps you monitor traffic without constantly having to look behind you. ,. Signal. &ever move left without signaling. 8ust put your left arm straight out. Be sure to check your mirror or loo behind you before signaling 'since a car passing too closely can take your arm out*.

"ollision Type #13# The $ear ;nd( .t. *

' car runs into you from behind. This is what many cyclists fear the most( but it's actually not very common( comprising only +.9= of collisions. !owever( it's one of the hardest collisions to avoid( since you're not usually loo)ing behind you. The risk is likely greater at night, and in rides outside the city where traffic is faster and lighting is worse. The three cyclists killed when hit from behind in 1ustin in CI0 C? were all riding at night, and at least two of them didn!t have lights on their bikes. The best way to avoid getting -ear0+nded is to ride on very wide roads or in bike lanes, or on roads where the traffic moves slowly, and to use lights when biking at night.

%ow to avoid this collision:
1. et a rear light. If you!re riding at night, you absolutely should use a flashing red rear light. Bike shops have red rear blinkies for J(; or less. These kind of lights typically take two 11 batteries, which last for months 'something like )EE hours*. > can't stress this item enough# >f you ride at night( get a rear light? *. Wear a reflective vest or a safety triangle. %igh ,uality reflective gear makes you a lot more visible even in the day time, not @ust at night. I had a friend ride away from me while wearing one during the day, and when she was about a ,uarter mile away, I couldn!t see her or her bike at all, but the vest was clearly visible. 1t night the difference is even greater. Bike shops have vests and triangles for J(E to J(;. 1lso, when you hear a motorist approaching, straightening up into a vertical position will make your reflective gear more noticeable.

+. "hoose wide streets. -ide on streets whose outside lane is so wide that it can easily fit a car and a bike side by side. That way a car may Koom by you and avoid hitting you, even if they didn!t see you4 ,. "hoose slow streets. The slower a car is going, the more time the driver has to see you. I navigate the city by going through neighborhoods. /earn how to do this. 4. <se bac) streets on wee)ends. The risk of riding on Ariday or Saturday night is much greater than riding on other nights because all the drunks are out driving around. If you do ride on a weekend night, make sure to take neighborhood streets rather than arterials. 7. et a mirror. Get a mirror and use it. If it looks like a car doesn!t see you, hop off your bike and onto the sidewalk. Hirrors cost J;0(;. Trust me, once you!ve ridden a mirror for a while, you!ll wonder how you got along without it. Hy paranoia went down BE> after I got a mirror. If you!re not convinced, after

you!ve used your mirror for a month, take it off your bike and ride around and notice how you keep glancing down to where your mirror was, and notice how unsafe you feel without it. 8. -on't hug the curb. This is counter0intuitive, but give yourself a little space between yourself and the curb. That gives you some room to move into in case you see a large vehicle in your mirror approaching without moving over far enough to avoid you. 1lso, when you hug the curb tightly you!re more likely to suffer a right cross from motorists who can!t see you.

More General Tips
Avoid busy streets.
7ne of the biggest mistakes that people make when they start biking is to take the e"act same routes they used when they were driving. It!s usually better to take different streets with fewer and slower cars. Sure, cyclists have a right to the road, but that!s a small consolation when you!re dead. .onsider how far you can take this strategy: If you learn your routes well, you!ll find that in many cities you can travel through neighborhoods to get to most places, only crossing the busiest streets rather than traveling on them.

Light up.
Too obvious9 $ell, if it!s so obvious, then why do most night0time cyclists ride without lights9 Bike shops have rear red blinkies for J(; or less. %eadlights are @ust as important as rear lights. 1nd modern headlights use /+ !s so the batteries last ten times longer than old0school headlights.

Take the whole lane when appropriate.
It!s often safer to take the whole lane, or at least ride a little bit to the left, rather than hug the right curb. %ere!s why:
• • •

.ars at intersections ahead of you can see you better if you!re s,uarely in the road rather than on the e"treme edge where you!re easily overlooked. Taking the lane prevents cars from passing you too closely on narrow roadways. -iding a bit to the left prevents you from being a victim of the door priKe.

2ou might worry about slowing down the traffic behind you if you take the lane. But if you!re on the kind of street where you!ve got cars blocked up behind you or constantly changing lanes to get around you, you!re probably on the wrong street and should find a ,uieter neighborhood street. Taking the lane works especially well in most traffic circles. The traffic generally moves slower so it!s easy to keep up, riding in the lane makes you more visible to motorists, and taking the lane prevents motorists from right hooking you as they e"it the circle.

It!s perfectly legal for you to take the lane when appropriate. Te"as State /aw 'and the laws of most other states* says you have to ride as far to the right as is #practicable#. %ere are some things that make it impracticable to ride to the e"treme right: (. 0ou're in a heavy traffic area with lots of side streets( par)ing lots( or driveways ahead and to your right. .ars turning left won!t see you because they!re looking for traffic in the middle of the road, not on the e"treme edge of the road. Hove left. See .ollision diagram F( above. ). "ars are passing you too closely. If the lane is too narrow for cars to pass you safely, then move left and take the whole lane. Getting buKKed by cars is dangerous. :. "ars are par)ed on the right1hand side of the road. If you ride too close to these you!re gonna get doored when someone gets out of their car. Hove left. There are risks to both riding to the e"treme right as well as taking the lane. $hether you ride to the right or take the lane depends on the conditions of the roadway you!re on. 7n wide roadways with few intersectionsLdriveways, right further right. 7n narrow roads with lots of intersections, ride farther to the left. It!s not always better to take the lane or to hug the curb6 it depends on the roadway you!re on.

Signal your turns.
2ou!re less likely to get hit when your movement doesn!t take motorists by surprise. /et them know you!re about to turn or move left or right by signalling with your arm. Point your left arm out to move left, and point your right arm out to move right. '2ou might have learned an old way of signaling a right turn with your left arm, but drivers have no idea what that means, so it!s useless. Signal a right turn with your right arm.* Before signaling left, be sure to check your mirror or look behind you before signaling 'since a car passing too closely can take your arm out*.

Re-think music players and mobile phones.
It!s more important to hear what!s around you when you!re biking than when you!re driving. $hether you want to ride with headphones is your choice, but doing so does increase your risk. Similarly, te"ting or talking with a mobile phone raises the risk level. $hen you!re mi"ing with car traffic, the fewer distractions the better. 1lso, you!ll want both hands free in case you have to brake suddenly.

Ride as if you were invisible.
>t's often helpful to ride in such a way that motorists won't hit you even if they don't see you. 2ou!re not trying to be invisible, you!re trying to make it irrelevant whether cars see you or not. If you ride in such a way that a car has to see you to take action to avoid hitting you 'e.g., by their slowing down or changing lanes*, then that means they will definitely hit you if they don!t see you. But if you stay out of their way, then you won!t get hit even if they didn!t notice you were there. 7n very fast roads cars have less time to see you because they!re approaching so fast. 7f course, you should avoid fast roads in the first place if at all possible, unless there!s plenty of room for a car and a bike side by side. 1nd if there IS such room, then on fast roadways, you can practice invisibility by riding

to the e"treme right. If you!re far enough right that you!re not in the part of the lane the cars are in, then they!ll Koom by and won!t hit you, even if they never saw you. %ere!s another e"ample: >t's a good idea to signal a left turn( but it's a better idea to ma)e your left turn at a time or place where there aren't cars behind you that could hit you while you're stopped and waiting to ma)e that turn. 2ou can hang out in the middle of the street, stopped, with your left arm out, waiting to make your turn, but you!re counting on cars behind you to see you and stop. If they don!t see you, you!re in trouble. &aturally we don!t advocate running red lights, but if you!re the kind of person who does, then apply the invisibility principle when deciding on whether to run a particular light: "ould any cross traffic possibly hit me if > were invisible@ If yes, then absolutely don!t do it. &ever make a car have to slow down to avoid hitting you 'red light or not*. -emember, the more you rely on cars to see you to avoid hitting you, the more chances they!ll have to actually do so. -emember, you!re not trying to B+ invisible, you!re @ust riding with the assumption that cars can!t see you. 5f course( you certainly want them to see you( and you should help them with that. That!s why you!ll wave to motorists whom you think might be about to pull out in front of you, and why you!ll be lit up like a .hristmas tree at night 'front and rear lights*. -emember that in many cases you!ll need to take the lane, in which case you!re counting on motorists to see you.

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